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Fixing the beachsides core will take money, pride and civility

Published: Sunday, August 25, 2013 at 5:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, August 24, 2013 at 6:22 p.m.

Last Saturday night, I went to the Ocean Center for Vince Carter’s Embassy of Hope Foundation gala.

The experience left me with the usual mixed feelings — not about the gala, but about the core area of the beachside. On the beachside, I always have the sense that good things are just around the corner, but the corner is somehow always just out of reach.

The gala itself was very nice. The food was good, the band was great, and the guests were even better. And yes, Vince Carter is still tall, which is helpful in the NBA, where he makes his living with the Dallas Mavericks.

The purpose of the event was to raise money for Carter’s foundation, and to honor two community-minded people. Charlie Lydecker, president of Brown & Brown Insurance’s retail division, was lauded for his work on behalf of area Boy Scouts. Edison Jackson, president of Bethune-Cookman University, was recognized for his efforts to improve the school and connect it to the greater community.

It was a very classy event with a good vibe.

Still, you also can’t help but notice the vibe on the beachside outside the Ocean Center, which was not so good.

I took the usual route to the Ocean Center, crossing to the beachside via International Speedway Boulevard Bridge. The bridge itself provides a spectacular view all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. But once on the beachside, the view loses its luster. The fact is ISB provides one of the ugliest points of entry to the beach in all of Florida. What do tourists think when they reach the beachside via ISB?

Hanging a left onto Peninsula Avenue, and following the directions to the Ocean Center, the view does not get better. Much of the housing near the Ocean Center is in rough shape. Yards are uncut. Even the sidewalks look weedy.

Driving up Auditorium Boulevard on the south side of the Ocean Center, the palm trees caught my eye. They’re nice palm trees. But when was the last time they were trimmed? The trees are laden with dead fronds.

I parked at the Volusia County parking deck just north of the Ocean Center. It was a mess.

Traffic was backed up outside the deck, and inside the lengthy line of cars was barely moving. Most of the parking spaces were already taken, and just after I made it into the deck the “lot full” sign was placed near the curb with many vehicles still trying to get in.

It turned out the gala wasn’t the only event. A group playing at the Bandshell behind the Hilton Hotel had drawn a good crowd. The addition of the roller coaster along the boardwalk and near the pier was attracting visitors as well. Fantastic — unless you are idling in your vehicle in the parking deck in a line of cars that isn’t moving. Or worse, you’re a visitor and can’t find a parking space at all.

When people sit in line for a long time, they become impatient. A car a few yards in front of me pulled out, leaving an open parking space. Two vehicles tried to beat each other into that space; neither made it. They wedged themselves near each other, and wouldn’t give an inch.

This didn’t sit well with people in the cars behind them. Horns honked, and then people started getting out of their cars and walking up to share their points of view with the drivers fighting over the parking space. It was a little ugly. Finally, a police officer working in the deck arrived to untangle the mess. By then nearly 45 minutes had passed.

In the middle of all this, News-Journal online editor John Gallas happened to walk by with his wife and daughter. They were on their way from the Bandshell to the Daytona Lagoon to play some miniature golf. I explained to John what was happening. “You have to wonder what visitors from outside the area think when they see something like this,” John said.

Early last week, I spoke to another colleague who traveled with his family to attend the recent reptile show at the Ocean Center. He also wondered why the palms outside the facility were so untrimmed. And he lamented the condition of the neighborhood visitors must drive between ISB and the Ocean Center.

Perhaps, he suggested, the area should use some of the $14.2 million collected in bed taxes annually to buy up some of the worst property, or at least to clean up yards and trim the weeds. “We’re better than this,” he said. “Aren’t we?”

The Daytona Beach area has many very good big things happening that will make this a better place in the near future. New hotels, new shopping, and a new museum are all on the board. All are great economic opportunities. None of them will fix the core area surrounding the Ocean Center.

Sure, fixing the beachside will likely require a combination of private and tax dollars. You can’t create new parking out of scratch, for example.

But even more, it will take collective pride in ownership.

Rice is The News-Journal’s editor. His email is Pat.Rice@news-jrnl.com.

<p>Last Saturday night, I went to the Ocean Center for Vince Carter's Embassy of Hope Foundation gala. </p><p>The experience left me with the usual mixed feelings — not about the gala, but about the core area of the beachside. On the beachside, I always have the sense that good things are just around the corner, but the corner is somehow always just out of reach.</p><p>The gala itself was very nice. The food was good, the band was great, and the guests were even better. And yes, Vince Carter is still tall, which is helpful in the NBA, where he makes his living with the Dallas Mavericks.</p><p>The purpose of the event was to raise money for Carter's foundation, and to honor two community-minded people. Charlie Lydecker, president of Brown &amp; Brown Insurance's retail division, was lauded for his work on behalf of area Boy Scouts. Edison Jackson, president of Bethune-Cookman University, was recognized for his efforts to improve the school and connect it to the greater community. </p><p>It was a very classy event with a good vibe. </p><p>Still, you also can't help but notice the vibe on the beachside outside the Ocean Center, which was not so good.</p><p>I took the usual route to the Ocean Center, crossing to the beachside via International Speedway Boulevard Bridge. The bridge itself provides a spectacular view all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. But once on the beachside, the view loses its luster. The fact is ISB provides one of the ugliest points of entry to the beach in all of Florida. What do tourists think when they reach the beachside via ISB?</p><p>Hanging a left onto Peninsula Avenue, and following the directions to the Ocean Center, the view does not get better. Much of the housing near the Ocean Center is in rough shape. Yards are uncut. Even the sidewalks look weedy.</p><p>Driving up Auditorium Boulevard on the south side of the Ocean Center, the palm trees caught my eye. They're nice palm trees. But when was the last time they were trimmed? The trees are laden with dead fronds.</p><p>I parked at the Volusia County parking deck just north of the Ocean Center. It was a mess.</p><p>Traffic was backed up outside the deck, and inside the lengthy line of cars was barely moving. Most of the parking spaces were already taken, and just after I made it into the deck the “lot full” sign was placed near the curb with many vehicles still trying to get in.</p><p>It turned out the gala wasn't the only event. A group playing at the Bandshell behind the Hilton Hotel had drawn a good crowd. The addition of the roller coaster along the boardwalk and near the pier was attracting visitors as well. Fantastic — unless you are idling in your vehicle in the parking deck in a line of cars that isn't moving. Or worse, you're a visitor and can't find a parking space at all.</p><p>When people sit in line for a long time, they become impatient. A car a few yards in front of me pulled out, leaving an open parking space. Two vehicles tried to beat each other into that space; neither made it. They wedged themselves near each other, and wouldn't give an inch. </p><p>This didn't sit well with people in the cars behind them. Horns honked, and then people started getting out of their cars and walking up to share their points of view with the drivers fighting over the parking space. It was a little ugly. Finally, a police officer working in the deck arrived to untangle the mess. By then nearly 45 minutes had passed.</p><p>In the middle of all this, News-Journal online editor John Gallas happened to walk by with his wife and daughter. They were on their way from the Bandshell to the Daytona Lagoon to play some miniature golf. I explained to John what was happening. “You have to wonder what visitors from outside the area think when they see something like this,” John said.</p><p>Early last week, I spoke to another colleague who traveled with his family to attend the recent reptile show at the Ocean Center. He also wondered why the palms outside the facility were so untrimmed. And he lamented the condition of the neighborhood visitors must drive between ISB and the Ocean Center.</p><p>Perhaps, he suggested, the area should use some of the $14.2 million collected in bed taxes annually to buy up some of the worst property, or at least to clean up yards and trim the weeds. “We're better than this,” he said. “Aren't we?”</p><p>The Daytona Beach area has many very good big things happening that will make this a better place in the near future. New hotels, new shopping, and a new museum are all on the board. All are great economic opportunities. None of them will fix the core area surrounding the Ocean Center. </p><p>Sure, fixing the beachside will likely require a combination of private and tax dollars. You can't create new parking out of scratch, for example.</p><p>But even more, it will take collective pride in ownership. </p><p>Rice is The News-Journal's editor. His email is Pat.Rice@news-jrnl.com.</p>